Third Quarter

As the students filed back into their seats, I asked one of the staff members if the students got to take a few minutes to rest.  After all, they had been going full tilt since 9:30 a.m.  "A little," he said, but I did not see much evidence of it.  Immediately after they got to their seats, they played the fight song and the Wabash Cannonball.  That isn't rest!

Once the game got going, however, the students were each given an apple.  They immediately chomped into them, and I wondered what would happen if they needed to play.  Sure enough, before the apples were completely distributed, the band had to play a song.  I did not look to see how the students handled their mouthful of apples, but I would bet there were apple bits in some of the instruments!  (I am gagging again!)

I did notice then that, at least for a few minutes, the band did not play.  I don't know if that was to give the students a rest, or if it was because the game was rather boring.  Dr. Tracz, while standing on his podium, said to me, "This isn't much fun," to which I agreed.  Within about a minute of his comment, Daniel Sams threw a pass to Tyler Lockett for a touchdown.  And the rowdiness began again!

I wanted to stay until the beginning of the fourth quarter, as I thought it would be fun to see the fourth-quarter song up close.  The players have hand motions that go with the song, and a group of adults in the upper deck do a dance with it.  Since it is hard to see from our seats, I decided to remain with the band until the song was over.  When it started, I showed one of the staff members the group of dancers above.  The particular staff member did not realize the adults were dancing, though they have been doing it since Kenneth was in school (or before).  I enjoyed seeing the routine from a different angle . . . but my legs and feet were getting weary.

I decided to join my family for the last quarter, and it worked out well.  I got to see the best part of the game from a better vantage point (it is hard to see anything that happens when standing on the sidelines.  I watched the large video board the entire time). I did enjoy seeing the final quarter of the game from our seats.  But I am so very grateful to have experienced the Band Director for the Day.  I learned a lot about what it takes to have a strong band program, and I gained a deeper respect for the musicians involved.

Making Connections

Throughout the day, I talked with a variety of people with whom I made connections.  The baton twirlers' coach is originally from Dodge City, and Don's family knew her dad.  One of the twirlers took lessons from Erin Hiers, the daughter of some friends from Dodge City.  I heard that the male drum major was from Dodge, so I asked him if he knows my nephew, Eric.  Not only do they know each other, they were in Les Miz together in high school.  I went to one of the performances, so I saw him in the production.  Who would have known?

Then there were the connections with the young people.  I met several high school students who were visiting from Maize and Kansas City.  As I walked off the field after half time, a number of the band members asked me if I had fun.  One of the tuba players stopped to talk with me.  The dance team members smiled at me as I directed, then encouraged me afterwards. The drum majors talked with me.  The staff members lent their support as well.

The handshake with Arthur Brown and Tyson Hartman, seeing Gordon Dowell from the Foundation (who had Mr. Navarro, another band supporter, with him), running into Casey Scott (who was in our wedding), as well as getting to see Dr. Tracz in action . . . well, I had no idea the day would be so action packed.  Several times I felt dizzy, there was so much going on.  I had no idea . . . and the day wasn't done!

HALF TIME!

The time has finally arrived.  Half time!  After a not-so-exciting first half, I was looking forward to hearing the band.  The drum majors, dance team, and flag bearers had returned, dressed in Les Miserables costumes, and once the field cleared, they took their places.

I have frequently felt bad for the band when the stands cleared, but never more so than this time.  I had seen firsthand how hard they had worked and prepared.  The west stands had emptied pretty well, but the students remained.  I was glad for that.

After the Homecoming festivities were over, the band came onto the field and began their performance.    They performed several songs from Les Miserables, the dance team performed, and the drum line had a wonderful solo that included drummers shifting from drum to drum.

The flag team is dressed as peasants.

And then it was time for the fight song.  Oh boy.  Amazingly, I was not a bit nervous.  I think it is because I knew that no matter what I did, the band would continue playing.  As I climbed onto the podium, the announcer said I was the Band Director for the Day, the drum major started the band, and we were off!  

I looked at the jumbotron, only to see a fat woman leading the band . . . oh, that's me!  I looked away, and continued directing until the end of the fight song.  It was really fun.  And then it was over.  

The band came off the field, and I once again found myself in the middle of a bunch of instruments.  The students filed back up into the stands to get ready for the third quarter.  There is no rest for the weary!

Game Time!

Back when I was in school, we had a yell leader named Larry Dixon who led the students in cheers.  And we actually cheered with him.  Now Dr. Tracz is the one who gets the students involved . . . and he does so in a big way.  I neglected to mention that at pre-game, when the students are in the stands but no one else is, the students and the band have a whole routine.  The students sit down during the fight song, then suddenly pop up and begin their roudiness.  Dr. Tracz just fuels the fire!

And if I thought things were busy before, once the game started, things moved at lightning speed.  I always wondered how the band knew when to play . . . now I know.  One of Dr. Tracz's staff members stands next to his podium, headset on, voice ready.  He has a direct line to "the god of football logistics."  That person tells him how much time they are going to have to play, what is on the video board prior to the band, or anything else he needs to know.  The conversation to Dr. Tracz from the staff member might have been something like this:

"Two minute break; Junior Wildcat; Fan of the Game; 45 seconds to play."
"No. Injury on the field.  Only 30 seconds."

In that time, Dr. Tracz has to decide what tune the band will play, signal the band members, and be ready at a moment's notice.  Then he may have to change the tune because something unexpected - such as an injury - has occurred.  He has a set of cards that he shows the band, and when it is time, the students know what they are to do.  They have choreographed certain drum movements, trombone movements, tuba movements . . . and they are hilarious.

Now, not to seem like a wimp or anything, but for some reason, despite the fact that I love bands, I am grossed out by instruments that collect saliva.  Let's leave it at that.  So, as I am standing below Dr. Tracz's podium, I see the trombonists start to empty their trombones . . . right next to the wall where my coat is.  Oh what to do?  I don't want to seem rude . . . but I really don't want saliva all over my coat.  So I walked over and began to move it.  One of the trombonists commented that he was really glad I did that because he would have felt really bad if he had dripped on it.  I was so grateful he had noticed and had been careful.  I asked about a suitcase that was next to the coat, but they said they could work around it.  Great . . . frankly I surprised myself that I didn't gag on the spot (but as I type this, I am having a little trouble :)  So I put the coat down out of harm's way, and the game went on!

Every time something great happened, Dr. Tracz got the band going. . . and the students.  He kept the entire section energized, despite a rather lackluster half.  When the West Virginia punter had a little trouble, some of the horn section started yelling, "High School punter."  Suddenly, a football came reeling towards us . . . the punter missed his practice net.  It almost hit me, but I wonder if he did it intentionally to shut the band up.  Didn't work!  Got worse!

At the quarter, the drum majors, baton twirlers, flag team and others left to change costumes.  I wondered what that was about but knew I would soon find out.  Then with five minutes left in the second quarter, the band began to empty onto the track to get ready for the half-time show.  Uh oh.  That meant my directing opportunity was about to come up.  It was going to be fun.  So here we go!

Pre-Game

So Dr. Tracz told me to meet him at 2-ish in front of Vanier.  Standing outside the stadium watching all the purple go by was pretty fun.  Little kids get really excited about going to football games.  A few minutes after 2:00, the band started arriving.  I wish I had had my camera.  The two beautiful baton twirlers, in their sequined costumes, were visiting with two young starry-eyed girls.  I could just see those little ones deciding right then and there that they were going to be baton twirlers.  I know I would have been star-struck by them . . . well, I actually was because they are gorgeous women, and they were so nice to me!

Anyway, I waited for a few minutes, and then here came Dr. Tracz - authoritatively walking amongst the band members.  "Where's Karen?" he asked.  I stepped up, and he told me to come with him.  About ten seconds later he said, "You have to walk like a band director.  Let's go."  (I think there was a song like that - Walk Like an . . . oh, an Egyptian.  Well,  a band director walks faster than an Egyptian!)  And I stepped up the pace as we walked arm-in-arm through the gates to the field.

After what appeared to be milling around, but was instead perhaps better described as organized chaos, the band began to assemble in their places.  I put my coat down against the wall (significant in a later post) and waited for my next instructions.  Soon Dr. Tracz grabbed me to follow him.  He made sure I stayed on his right side, because the ball players are big, and he didn't want them to run into me.  I was grateful for that.

We went to the north end zone to wait until the players had vacated the field.  While there, four former players walked by.  I did not recognize two of them - I believe they were the Lamur brothers - but Tyson Hartman I recognized, and then Arthur Brown, Jr. - the Judge.  Boy do we miss him!  We greeted them all, but Arthur made sure to shake my hand.  Not just a passing shake, but an honest-to-goodness handshake.  He is such a quality guy . . . I hope he does well with the Ravens!

Then once the players got off the field, we walked to the west side to watch the beginning of the pre-game.  After the pledge, alma mater, and Wabash Cannonball, we took off around the field while the band lined up for the team's entrance.  In passing, Dr. Tracz mentioned that one of the students was marching in his first pre-game.  Why is that significant?  Well, the student is legally blind.

Although I already was sold on Dr. Tracz, this put a few stars in his crown.  There are "no"people, and there are "yes" people.  When a challenge is placed before them, the "no" people dismiss an idea.  The "yes" people try to find a way to make things work.  I can imagine that there are a number of band directors who would never consider finding a way to include a student with a vision impairment.  But "Yes people" not only consider it, they generally make it happen . . . to the benefit of all involved.  I was so impressed that a student would want to accept the challenge . . . and equally impressed that Dr. Tracz accepted it also.  I know it was a proud day for both of them and for the band in general, and I hope the student enjoyed the experience and will be able to continue marching with the band.

After the team came onto the field and the band started toward the east side, I thought it was odd that the ambulance was moving onto the track.  I was a little oblivious at the time - and buried in a sea of tubas, trombones, and clarinets.  Dr. Tracz pulled his podium up to the wall, the band got in place, and they began playing . . . but the ambulance's lights were going, and I realized something was happening on the field.  (Once I found out it was the cheer squad member who was decked by Willie, I was very worried, but it appears now as if everything is all right.)  Unflappable Dr. Tracz continued with the normal routine, and after the ambulance left, he pulled his podium into its proper place, and we were ready for some football!

Tailgating with the Band

As if practicing from 9:30 - 11:30 and playing during a football game from 2:45 - 6:00 is not enough, Dr. Tracz takes a group of pep band players to the parking lot between practice and the game.  I don't know how many tailgates they play for, but for several years they have played at a tailgate at the end of our row.  So I asked Dr. Tracz if it would be possible for the band to come by our parking spot.

Sure enough, about 12:00, the band begins to walk up and Dr. Tracz informs me that I am going to conduct them.  I put Babs back in the RV (how could I conduct with a dog in my arms?  I mean, really.)  I grabbed my baton, sidled up next to Amy (the real drum major), and . . . the band started sitting down on the ground.  The trombonists were lying down . . . I didn't know what to think.

Amy blew her whistle, and the band started playing . . . at half speed.  The trombonists lazily began to stand up, and at the end of the first verse of the fight song, I thought they would play at a normal tempo.  I started to pick up the pace . . . (and proof that the students know exactly what to do) . . . they just kept the same beat.  Once everyone was standing, then they double-timed it - just as I directed!  Ha, ha!

Afterwards, they started to play the Wabash Cannonball.  Of course, I had to abandon my post for a moment to get involved with the Wabash, but then I went back to help Amy.  I knew she couldn't do it without me!

Then they were off to the next tailgate down the row.

Only Don and I knew they would be there, so our group was pretty surprised . . . and we attracted quite a group of spectators from neighboring fans.

The band members are quite funny . . . and energetic.  And I hadn't seen nothing yet!

Band Practice

When I set up my gig to be the Band Director for a Day, Dr. Tracz briefly outlined the schedule, subject to change when we knew the game time.  (I knew varying game times was difficult for the administration and football team, but I hadn't even thought about the band.  I guess the pre-game routine is fairly standard, but when there is an 11:00 a.m. game, what time do they have to practice?  Yikes!)  Anyway, although I could have attended the 8:00 a.m. staff meeting (which I would have loved to do), we could not arrive in time, so I went to the 9:30 a.m. practice.  By the time I got there at 9:25, the band members were already on the field.

Since I did not know Dr. Tracz, I approached two people who looked like they knew what they were doing.  One was a staff member, one a student, and they both immediately said, "Oh yes, we will take you to meet Dr. Tracz."  Now I expected that of the staff member, but the student?  Well, not so much. What a pleasure it was to be greeted so nicely!

Dr. Tracz treated me very well. He presented me with a band shirt, a purple band hat, a very nice band polo, and my own baton!  Several times as the band was practicing he would mention me, he introduced me to the whole band, and he even let me give the announcements.  I accused him of having a bad second-grade teacher because I couldn't exactly read his handwriting, and he seemed to enjoy the repartee . . . I hope so, or else I received an F!

I had never really watched band practice from close range.  Once the students were on the field, Dr. Tracz was in the middle of them, talking to some, encouraging others.  A staff member in the stands had a microphone as did Dr. Tracz, and they could talk to the band over the speaker system.  No one could accuse them of not being able to be heard.

During the first song I noticed the students were not playing but were singing the song as they marched.  I asked the woman standing next to me why they were singing.  She explained that the students can concentrate better on their marching and it saves their lips for the game.  Makes sense.  I asked if all bands do this, and another staff member said that it is not standard practice, but anyone trained by Dr. Tracz uses that technique.

Anyway, they performed each song once or twice while singing and then they would play it.  During stoppages, Dr. Tracz would walk amongst the band, fixing problems, encouraging, or motivating.  He talked a lot about his and my generation, mentioning that many of our peers were pretty rowdy, sometimes demonstrating.  I agreed with him, and then I chimed in that streaking was also a favorite pasttime.  He jumped on that, threatening to have the two of us streak during halftime.  He didn't hear me say that I think that would cause the entire stadium to empty if I were to do that - ha, ha!

For the last song, the fight song, I was called up to practice.  I knew that they really do not need someone to conduct them . . . once they get the beat from the drum major, they just go . . . but it was surely fun.  After climbing up the podium, I used my baton and my conducting skills from my sixth-grade music class to get the band to play the fight song.  The Classy Cats dancing in front of me smiled encouragement as the band played.  No matter that I didn't exactly know what I was doing.  The band sounded great!

And then it was time to return to the tailgate for awhile.  The band was going to rest and eat, so I decided to go see Don and the fam until game time!  Stay tuned to find out what happened next.

Mr. Adrenaline

Saturday I had the privilege of being the Band Director for the Day.  I was not real certain what it would entail, but when I talked with Frank Tracz, the "band man," he told me where to meet him, and  so I did as I was told.

Now I have known several music men in my time, and most of them have been energetic, charismatic people.  They must have learned from Frank.

When we met, it was as if we had been friends for years.  He was funny, friendly, and definitely passionate about his band.  As I watched him work, I marveled at the relationships he had with his students.  The respect they had for him was obvious . . . but so was the respect he had for them.

I learned a lot about marching band today.   That will be in a future blog.  But as in any organization, the leader sets the tone.  After meeting Dr. Tracz, I now know that our band is:

1.  High energy
2.  Friendly
3.  Disciplined
4.  Respectful
5.  High caliber
6.  Dedicated
7.  Funny
8.  A little crazy at times

Over the past 21 years, I have noticed a great improvement in our band.  They have graduated from doing the "World Famous K-State Spin" (which might be kind of fun to do sometime as a retro look), to complicated shapes and words.  They tackle difficult music, their numbers are large (over 400),  and they even sing.  And despite a grueling schedule, they still smile.

Frank says he is so lucky . . . this is what he gets to do for a job.  He says it isn't work because he loves it so much.  After experiencing the band for a day, I can say that KSU is inordinately lucky to have him in charge of our band program, and I am privileged to have gotten to watch him "up close in action!"

Captain Phillips

Sunday night we went to see the movie Captain Phillips.  How can this kind of thing happen?  Pirates in the 21st century?  After seeing the movie, it is easy to see how they still exist.

The movie was excellent!  Tom Hanks was amazing, the Somali actors were scary, the script was gripping.

Once I came home, I wanted to read more about the Captain.  I was stunned with what I read.  Apparently he is not the brave, thoughtful captain that is portrayed in the movie.  Apparently, he disregarded much of the intelligence and information that could have prevented the whole situation.  How disappointing!  It sounds as if he is no Sully.

The movie is still worth seeing . . . just know that Captain Phillips is not exactly as he seems!

Random Thoughts

Nothing real exciting happening around here, but I do have a few thoughts:

1.  The government shutdown ends, and the price of gas goes up 15 cents.  How does that happen?  Don and I fail to see the connection.

2.  Anipryl is an amazing drug.  Babs has been sleeping well . . . to my relief.

3.  October 18 is too early for snow.

4.  The Big 12 is not very strong in football this year.  Hoping my 'Cats can take advantage the rest of its schedule.

5.  Some of the best recipes I have found appear in the Saturday edition of the Wall Street Journal.  Today's is a yummy-sounding minestrone.  Can't wait to try it.

6.  I attended the funeral of a friend's father today.  It seems like every time I attend one, I leave wishing I had known the person better.  Celebrating the life of loved ones gives perspective to those who remain.

7.  Can't wait to see Captain Phillips.

That's it.  No more deep thoughts for the day.

Octoberfest

We have the Octoberfest thing down pretty well.  Brats, bierocks, Ashley's home brew, German potato salad, and a new addition - Victoria's beer stein cookies.  Add perfect weather, Avon beer steins, Kenneth's lederhosen, and German polka music and you have yourselves a party.

But something was missing.  All of the ingredients were there, but things did not feel right.  There was no excitement for the game.  We all expected to get clobbered so there was no . . . anticipation (sing it, Carly Simon).

The feel of the general atmosphere in the parking lot has changed.  Tailgating continues to be fun, but the fans seem, well . . . resigned.  Resigned that we would lose.  Resigned that we have no chance.

Fortunately, Coach once again proved us wrong.  Once again the 'Cats nearly pulled off a win when no one else thought we would even be in the game.  And in the end, rather than leave at half like we thought we might, the game was exciting until the last minute. And yes, we lost the game, but not as badly as we thought we might, and we had a great time.  So it was another successful Octoberfest after all.

Canine Cognitive Disorder

Last night, as Babs was spending another night eating, wandering, eating, and wandering, I googled "nights and days mixed up dog."  Many entries were immediately sent to me, and one of the first was about an old dog with the days and nights mixed up.  Yep, Canine Cognitive Disorder.  Alzheimer's for dogs.

Babs has it.  Every behavior was exactly what she is experiencing.  Confusion, pacing, panting, wandering.

There is a medication that is supposed to help it.  We have had a prescription for it, but because she is such a pistol taking pills, I had taken her off it.  Until this morning.  She is now back on it.  I don't know how quickly, or if, we will see results, but it can't hurt.  And if it helps her sleep at night, it will help me sleep at night . . . which will be worth every penny!

Catching Up

The worst part of the ten-week trip is the catching up afterwards.  It would have been easier if we hadn't had to leave town immediately after coming home, and then a week later, leaving again.  But we are home for good now . . . and I have been determined to get on top of things.

It has not helped that we are in the middle of a search for a priest and I am in charge of the search, I am in charge of two big events in February, Babs has been staying up most nights, and I still have a pile of mail to sort.  But today I made progress.

Getting all of the bills paid was helpful, but my biggest success was getting to see the three episodes of NCIS that I have missed.  While I was reconciling my bank accounts and paying bills, I watched the three shows.  After all, I have to find out what happens to Ziva.  NCIS is my favorite show, but Tuesday night seems to be the night when I always have meetings.  I had not seen any of the new season's shows . . . but now I am caught up.  Then this evening, while I was printing the last of my checks, I watched the first episode of Big Bang Theory.  Still have two to watch, but they go fast.  Once I watch those, NCIS Los Angeles, Hawaii 5-0 and Person of Interest, I will begin to feel like I am on my way!

So much for serious, education posts!

The Art Forger

Our book club has introduced me to some very interesting books.  Some have been educational (Nothing Like It in the World:  The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad); some take on serious subject (Rain of Gold, which is a story of immigration); some classics (Emma).  And sometimes we just get to read some fun novels.  The Art Forger is one of those.

I do not know much about art forgery, but this book exposes a whole new field of crime.  Well-researched, the author Barbara Shapiro weaves truth into a very interesting and fun plot.  In talking with my art teacher, Charles, he confirmed many of the facts in the book.  Which is what makes the story fun to read.

Because the book was a fun, yet informational, read, I loved.  If you want to know more about the art of forgery, this is the book for you!

Other Pictures

As I was going through my pictures I found these that perhaps are better than the ones in previous blogs.  The captions tell where the pictures were taken.

This lovely mud pile is just below the Horton cabin.  Good thing it was relatively dry!

The bridge just above the cattle guard.  The BAER team has cleared out all of the brush.  Notice how clear the bottom of the stream is - no moss left!

Just above Tres Lagunas . . . remnants of the fire on top, beautiful fall colors below.

The top lake at Tres Lagunas.  All of them are this color, but this one has much debris in it, also.

At the cattle guard.

The Good

As we took our Stroll Up the Canyon, we were astounded by what we perceived as being the negative effects of the fire and the flood.  Fortunately, we also found some positives.

When we were in the Canyon in July, I took this picture of the river, right at our propane tank.

Believe it or not, below is the same hole, post flood.  The mud and silt is gone, leaving gorgeous rocks and a beautiful, bubbling stream.

This hole, just below the Schneider's bridge, shows the same effect.

Isn't it pretty?  I never would have believed it, but with the silt and moss scrubbed clean, our little stream looks like it is brand new.

Above our cabin, the fire burned very intensely.  Very few trees survived and none of the ground cover was left.  Yet aspens are already sprouting and the seeding that was done by the Forest Service has taken hold.

It is not pretty yet; but it will be.

The burn scar behind our cabin was pretty obvious.  We had growth, and then it stopped.  Now, the area where the burn scar was is very green - much greener than what was not burned.

Although in the shade, the burn scar's green is different from what was not burned.

Many of the native plants are already coming back - holly, aster, primrose are all growing in the burn scar.

In many places, the fire is not evident and the canyon looks just as you would expect it to look.

So despair not.  Even the road can be fixed, and when it is, we will be able to get back into our little Canyon.  We will learn to live with the changes, and we will once again enjoy our little stream, the coolness of the air, and the camaraderie of our friends.

Strolling from #15 to the End

As we walked past the Anderson's cabin, Don and I commented that it could not be much worse.  How much more damage could be done?  After all, we had already seen the two bridges that were taken down at the Holt's and the Talbot's.  That's pretty bad.  And walking past Kelly's, the Horn's, the Conn's, and Ronnie Horn's the damage was about what we expected.

And then we saw the first issue.  The mess around the Reid's.  Early on, they had had a bad rockslide that had provided plenty of water in their cabin.  Chris had built a berm and a swale, however, that would divert the water, and it appeared to have worked.

But the bridge where the culverts are is gone.  The culverts are still there . . . just nothing on top of them.  It is a little tough to drive over this mess.

As we surveyed this area, Don noticed that the river above the culvert is now about four feet higher than it was.  It appears as if the culverts slowed the water enough to leave some of the rocks above them.  It would be good if some of the rocks washed away, as the way the river is now, it could flood the road pretty easily.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

We are standing just off the culvert, looking up the river.  Notice how the river is now about even with the road.

The Percy, Johnson, Lowe, and Rumsey cabins all had water rushing around them.  I understand Chris has notified everyone if they had any damage.  But the most stunning of the effects of the fire and rain (cue James Taylor) was to come.

Back in the late 1960's, a little spring would occasionally run between the Lowe and Rumsey cabins.  My brother and I actually tried to climb to the top to find it, but the ravine was so covered up even back then, we could not get to it.  Over the years, the spring has run on occasion, and when I was doing my research for my book, I actually found a letter discussing the water rights of the spring.  But it did not appear to be a reliable source of water.

Fast forward to the seven-inch rain.  The ravine where the spring is located became a rushing torrent, as evidenced by this channel the water dug through the road.

Yes, this is a gully through the road.

Don is standing in the gully, looking up the road.  He is six feet tall . . . 

The Rumsey's pump house . . . well, the poor thing.  It has been hit by two trees in the past few years, and now this.

Yes, that is dirt and rock piled inside.

The rest of the walk up the canyon was more of the same.  The road was no worse for wear, but the stream was certainly different.

The bridge at the Birdsong's gate.

Between the bridge and the Weaver's . . . note the erosion on the bank.  This is looking down the Canyon.

We have other pictures but they are not dramatically different.  The effects of the water, combined with the defoliation of the hillside, have changed the Canyon permanently.  For us oldsters, it will take some getting used to.  For all of us, it is the new normal.

But there are reasons to hope.  And we have the pictures to prove it!

Strolling from Cabin #7 to #15

So far, the major damage in the Canyon was to the stream and the west side of the road.  But that was about to change.  Just up from the Yarborough's cabin, it is obvious that the water has flooded the road.

Looking closely, it is apparent that where the stream curves from the Anderson's to the Davis's it decided to jump the streambed and go straight down the road.  Its independent spirit probably saved the Davis's bridge, but it did not do much for the road.

Slabs of the road could be found on the sides, rocks and roots protruded through the chip seal, and pot holes had been created.

The Davis cabin is on the left; Yarborough's behind to the right.

Finally, just around the corner, we saw the devastation water can do.  The river skipped the stream bed at the bottom of the Anderson's, and left this in its path:

Wow!  The poor road did not have a chance.  The debris pile at the Anderson's was impressive, and unfortunately, their footbridge was torn off the stream.  A large rock slide on the other side of the river came down to the water, but it did not seem to hurt the cabin at all.  

Part of the debris pile

The river behind the Anderson's.  Quite a bit of new rock has appeared!

Strolling from Cabin #3 to #6

Having just returned from a long trip to Alaska, we were accustomed to seeing rivers filled with rocks that had been deposited by glaciers.  Every stream we passed was filled with glacier rocks.  It was all very impressive.

Imagine what we thought, then, when we saw this just down the hill from our cabin:

This is on the west side of the road.  The waterfall is to the right,  Don is looking toward the Schneider cabin.

Although it looked like Alaska, it it is just down the path from the Brink's cabin that leads to the Schneider's bridge.  At the base of the road was a grassy meadow.  Now it is four feet deep in rocks.

To the left of the path was a ravine choked with dead trees.  It had been impossible to navigate up it, though we have tried several times.  Now the impassable ravine looks like this:

Nary a tree in sight.

Below the ravine and the rock slide used to be a waterfall.  The waterfall that was built back in the mining days, blocking the river to provide water for the hospital, no longer exists.

How many of us have pictures of our children on this rock?  We do.

Walking up the road from the bridge, the one familiar hole across from the rock that looks like a frog is dramatically changed.  The sleepy little fishing hole where many people would picnic is now a rocky one:

Many of these changes are permanent ones.  No one is going to remove the rock slide.  No one is going to replace the waterfall.  So it will take some getting used to.  But we can and will.

Strolling The Canyon, 2013 - Entering the Canyon

Remember the commercial for margarine where the woman says, "It is not nice to fool Mother Nature?"  Then she would snap her fingers and something dramatic would happen.  I would suggest that Mother Nature has done that to our Canyon.

(I hope we all keep in perspective what has happened in the area.  Everyone's cabins were spared from the fire, due to an amazing job by hotshots and our own firefighters; no lives were lost; these are our vacation homes, not our primary residences; we have insurance.  In the scheme of things, we were very lucky, and I hope we all support and cooperate with the Forest Service as they try to get on top of our area and the Gallinas area, which I understand was damaged far worse than ours.  That being said, let me tell you about what we found.)

Wasn't the fire bad enough?  It took out many acres, closed the Canyon for the summer, and caused floods when it rained.  I didn't realize that hot fires caused the dirt to become impenetrable so water would just run off it.  And it did.  With every rain, more flooding occurred.  

Despite the continued damage created during the monsoon season, the Forest Service was managing to keep up.  The road would become mudded in, but within a day or two, they were able to get on top of it.

And then the big flood came.  Seven+ inches in four days.  That is a lot of water for anyone, but especially dry New Mexico.  And really especially in a burn-scarred area.  

I knew Mother Nature could pack a powerful punch, but I had no idea how bad.

Our first clue came just after we entered the Holy Ghost.  The road just around the corner from the silver truss bridge was covered in about 9 inches of mud.  On a wet day, it would have been impossible to traverse.  Thank goodness it had not rained since the seven inch monsoon.

Then just beyond the gate, where the meadow is on the left, the culvert obviously could not handle the water that came down the path.  The path used to lead to Brush Ranch before it became impassable due to downed timber. Our family used to walk it at night.  Now I doubt we will ever walk it again.  Look at the ravine and the pile of mud the water created. (The mud stretches over the road, making for a fun ride!)

Just before the Horton's cabin, we got our first glimpse of what could happen in the ravines where it had burned.  We thought it looked bad . . . and it is.  But this is minor compared to some others up the way.  

Standing at the Horton cabin, looking down the road.  The dips and holes in the muddy road are not very obvious . . . until you drive on them.  To the right notice the rock slide (hard to see).  It is the first of many.

Our little road had minimal damage.  The creek, instead of going onto our road, spread over into the meadow toward the chip-seal road, and hence, we could access our cabin in decent shape.  We were glad we had our Jeep, however, as a car could not have gotten past these few spots.  We had no idea what we would find up the Canyon.  I am glad I didn't know.

Gaining Permission

After the fires in the Pecos, the Forest Service had talked about opening the Canyon after October 1 so that cabin owners could get in and winterize their cabins.  That was before the seven-inch rain hit the area.  The road was washed out in several areas, and they weren't sure they could or should let anyone in.  

When we called and talked to the permit administrator, he informed me we needed a permit to get in, since the area is closed.  Before allowing us access, he considered several things.  The road is impassable in many places.  Now I wasn't sure what he meant by impassable, but after seeing it, the road is definitely impassable.  We are lucky.  Our cabin is the second one in.  The part of the road we needed to travel can be maneuvered by a four-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle.  Further on up, that is not the case.  So we had two things going for us:  we have a high-clearance Jeep, and our cabin is below the worst part of the road.  

Second, the weather report for the time we requested was good - 0% chance of rain.  He knew that we could not and should not be in the Canyon if it was going to rain.  After seeing the Canyon, we really would not want to be here in a rain.

Third, he knows that Chris Long is going to be winterizing a number of the cabins.  Yet Chris is also going to be helping to get the road in shape for the winter and next spring.  Lessening the load for Chris is in the best interest of everyone.  And so we were granted permission to come in an winterize our cabin, and I promised that we would not drive our car anywhere in the Canyon except to our cabin.  I was told to pick up our permit on October 1.

Don and I were not counting on a government shutdown, however.  We did not have television on Monday night, since we drove from Clinton and stayed at the Wilderness Gateway B & B in Cowles.  Therefore, we did not know that Tuesday morning, the Forest Service (along with other agencies) temporarily shut down.  Luckily, the Forest Service personnel were still answering the phones.  And we managed to get our permit.  If we could not have gotten it, we would have had to drive back to Kansas without winterizing the cabin.  

Everything worked out, we got in and have had a chance to assess the cabin and our situation.  Then we took a Stroll Up The Canyon.  Read about our stroll over the next few days.

Saying Goodbye to Betty

The Holy Ghost/Tererro family is a relatively close one, relatively speaking.  Although we come from all walks of life, we care about each other, we keep track of each other, we help each other.  I think the feeling has been fostered by the July 4 gatherings at the Noel's cabin, along with the Homeowner's meetings and other events.  

Thus, when we (Don, Kenneth, Melinda and I) showed up at Betty Percy's funeral, we were not surprised to see Huie and Sherry Ley, Brandi and Rich, Nola and Ed, Scott Rice, Scott Johnson, and Dedi Skipper.  There are others who would have been there if they could have been, but it isn't always possible.  They were there in spirit, however.

Larry Percy spoke about his mom in familiar terms.  Although I didn't know she started Meals on Wheels in Clinton, I should have guessed.  She always put others first.  Of course, Larry mentioned the ice cream, the sitting on the porch at the cabin, and other memorable Holy Ghost events.  We each have our own stories about Betty and her selfless attitude.

On Tuesday, we were given permission to go into our cabin to winterize it.  We were grateful to the forest service for granting us permission to do so, as we had a couple of things we really needed to do before we closed up for the winter.  But there was a hole in our heart.  Earlier in the summer, we had planned to see Betty and Harry at the end of September.  Things changed quickly on May 30 with the fire, then again on September 13 with the flood.  But the biggest blow was on September 25 when Betty left us.  

We walked up the Canyon, taking time to stop at the Percy's cabin and sit on the porch.  

We took a few moments to thank God for Betty's influence on our lives and for the privilege of knowing her and her family. It will not be the same in the Canyon without Betty, but next summer, God willing and with a little help from the Forest Service, we will be able to sit on the porch with Harry, knowing Betty's spirit is on the porch, enjoying her daisies, the fresh air, and the creek.